30 years of EU: Austria, Finland and Sweden celebrate unity and diversity!

30 years of EU: Austria, Finland and Sweden celebrate unity and diversity!

Wien, Österreich - On January 1, 2025, Austria's joining the European Union marks the 30th anniversary. Together with Sweden and Finland, the country entered the EU three decades ago, which is considered a historical moment for many. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg emphasized the achievements and the influence of the EU on the daily life of citizens - peace, security and prosperity were the central achievements, as he emphasized in a common video. Under the title " United in diversity " celebrate this special occasion with a colorful mix of traditions: from Sakertorte to Finnish sauna to Finnish sauna to Abba.

In the video published on New Year's Day, it is underlined how important the EU is for the member states. Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen and Swedish counterpart Maria Malmer Stenergard were proud of the success of the community, which enabled citizens to live, work and study within the EU. The economic aspect was also emphasized, since the EU has acted as the largest internal market in the world and brought tangible advantages, such as Oe24.at reported.

political opinions on the anniversary

The political reactions to the 30th anniversary of the EU side are split. While the Neos chairman Beate Meinl-Reisinger described the EU as the best idea that Austria has ever had, the FPÖ was more critical. The freedom of delegation Harald Vilimsky complained that Austria "pays the award for broken promises and lost neutrality" and found that the EU had disappointed many expectations. In recent years, the consent of the Austrians to the EU has fallen to the second lowest level since 1995, which illustrates the different perspectives in the population. Despite these tensions, the Celebratory message in the video should convey a common feeling of European identity and progress.